


Presidential Pilgrimage

by basil_leaf



Series: SPN AU Bingo [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Historian!Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:32:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13548363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basil_leaf/pseuds/basil_leaf
Summary: Dean and the reader go on a road trip in order to take in some of the US presidential historical sites and Dean has a special surprise planned for one of their stops.





	Presidential Pilgrimage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [siriusly_gryffindorable](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusly_gryffindorable/gifts).



“Let’s go!” Dean was positively giddy. Y/N hadn’t seen him this excited since he had landed the job teaching at the University of Kansas and he got to move back home and take her with him.

The pair had met in graduate school. Y/N had been working on a master’s degree in theology while Dean was in his final year of a PhD in history. They had literally collided in the library while Y/N was there to research a paper on religion in American politics. Books and papers had fallen to the floor and they both had rushed to collect what was theirs. A few awkward seconds of hellos and introductions followed and they parted, assuming they’d never see each other again, considering the size of the University. But as Dean had settled in to finish editing a chapter of his dissertation, he realized that the binder he was now carrying was full of pages and pages of notes instead of his dissertation. 

Luckily, there was a full name in the binder and Dean was able to track Y/N down using the student database he’d gained access to when he’d been a T.A. He knocked on her door that evening, and was relieved when she was there to open it. “I, uh, I’m the guy from the library?” he started, his voice rising like he was asking a question and Dean mentally chastised himself for not keeping it together. “I think our binders got mixed up when we were picking up our stuff.”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Y/N had stuttered, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. “I was going to try and track you down tomorrow. Let me, uh, grab your notebook.” Y/N turned and scurried into her apartment, leaving Dean standing in the doorway.

Though he hadn’t been invited in, Dean had followed Y/N, stepping into her kitchenette as she closed his dissertation draft. “Were you… reading that?”

Y/N had looked up in alarm, clearly not realizing that she had been followed. Her cheeks had flushed at Dean’s question and she had barely managed to answer him. “I really like history,” she had blurted out in explanation, “especially presidential stuff.”

The color on her cheeks had deepened at her lack of eloquence but Dean had found it adorable. “Can I take you out for coffee sometime?” he had asked. “I’d love to hear your thoughts on the dissertation.”

Now two degrees, a post doctoral fellowship, an adjunct teaching job, and, finally, a tenure track position at KU later, the pair had been together for six years and were about to go on the adventure of a lifetime. Y/N had dubbed their trip their “Presidential Pilgrimage” and, while Dean had resisted the title at first, he had eventually warmed up to it and started using the moniker himself when describing their plans to friends and colleagues.

All packed, they climbed into Dean’s 1967 Chevy Impala, a beautiful beast of a car, and pointed themselves east towards the sites and stories of early American history.

Early on, Y/N decided that road trips with Dean needed to be a more regular occurrence. They both loved his car and Dean was so at home on the road, classic rock streaming from the car’s cassette player while the pair of them sang along and bantered back and forth, debating the merits of each president. Neither was ever able to make the other concede to their favorite - that was just the nature of politics - and the ridiculous stories that they came up with to discredit the other’s chosen champion filled the car with laughter as they drove.

One of Y/N’s friends joined them for a portion of their trip. She was living in New Jersey and traveled with the couple for about two weeks. One of their photos outside Grant’s Tomb quickly became one of Y/N’s favorites from the trip. Dean hadn’t gotten the memo so, while she and Chelsea were making silly faces, he looked like he was posing for a magazine shoot. “America’s Hottest Historians,” Y/N had joked, Chelsea nodding along.

“I’d buy it,” Chelsea had agreed and they teased Dean about it for the next few days as they traveled north. 

While Y/N was looking forward to the whole trip, one of her most anticipated stops, Sagamore Hill, happened during this leg and she was thrilled to have her boyfriend and one of her best friends, both of whom shared her love for American history, with her. Y/N couldn’t stop smiling as they explored Theodore Roosevelt’s home. Dean took her hand, giving it a squeeze as he looked down at her. As much as he was enjoying the trip, he found that watching Y/N was even more enthralling than the history that was surrounding them. She was like a kid on Christmas and her enthusiasm was both beautiful and contagious.

After Sagamore Hill, they continued on, going as far as New Hampshire and even making a stop in honor of fictional president Josiah Bartlet, where the girls got in some more good natured ribbing (“I still can’t believe that you had never seen ‘The West Wing’ until I came along, Dean!”). 

On the way back, they decided to try to stop in Vermont for the night and visit the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge. The three arrived fairly late at night, figuring they could crash in a motel somewhere along the interstate, however, there was literally nothing around them. 

As they drove through the dark, their GPS started fritzing, the satellite unable to locate them in the countryside. Eventually, they passed what looked like a general store but it was closed for the night. Dean pulled over so Y/N could read a sign near the side of the road, hoping for some insight.

“Um, guys?” Y/N said, fighting a giggle. “We’re in the exact right place. According to this, Calvin Coolidge’s birthplace was that store and he’s buried somewhere over yonder but we can’t see anything because it’s dark.” Y/N was tired and had to laugh.

Chelsea joined in her laughter. “Check it out, ‘The Top of the Notch Tearoom and Gift Shop.’” She pointed out the window to a sign that was barely visible as the pair dissolved into overtired, giddy laughter.

“Thank you for everything, Vermont,” Y/N deadpanned between giggles.

Dean snorted at that, taking in his tired girlfriend and her equally exhausted friend. “You can’t make this shit up,” he murmured. “Alright, you two,” Dean declared, “calm down. We might as well head back to Albany tonight and I’m gonna need your help navigating if we’re going to make it.” 

Y/N and Chelsea only laughed harder, though nothing that Dean had said was particularly funny. They had what Y/N liked to call “the sleepy ha-has,” where everything and anything could set off another giggle fit. Y/N took out the map, wanting to help, but as she scanned the paper, looking for their location and the way back to the highway, she noticed something that set her off again. “Did you know…” she asked, tears forming in her eyes from the continued laughter, “did you know there’s a Winchester, Vermont?”

The trio did eventually make it back to Albany that night and then started their journey south, back towards New Jersey. They made a stop at the home of Martin Van Buren and then drove through New York to return Chelsea to her apartment before Dean and Y/N headed south. The pair explored Washington DC and the surrounding area, eventually making their way to Keene, Virginia.

Y/N was giddy as they pulled up to Pine Knot. Dean was excited, too, but he also wanted to tease her. “You know Teddy was a pansy, right?” Dean asked, keeping one eye on the dirt road while he watched Y/N’s reaction.

Y/N gasped in response, sliding as far away from her boyfriend as she could in the Impala’s front seat. “How dare you?” she questioned in mock horror. “You take that back.”

“Never!” Dean laughed. “He was hunting and couldn’t shoot the dang bear! Even after his friends helped him out.”

Y/N pointed an accusatory finger at Dean, who was now fastidiously keeping his eyes on the road as he fought to keep a smirk off of his lips. “You know it wasn’t a fair fight. They chained an old, sick bear to a tree!” Y/N huffed. “Gloating like you’re some expert hunter or something…” she grumbled, “you wouldn’t have been able to shoot it either.” Y/N’s accusation was accompanied by a hard poke to Dean’s arm.

Dean finally broke, his smile coming through in full force as laughter bubbled from his lips. “Dad and Uncle Bobby never could get my brother or I to pull the trigger on hunting trips when we were kids. Too many deer got away because all we could see was Bambi, much to their disappointment.” Dean’s laughter was contagious and the couple giggled together as the car came to a stop outside of Teddy Roosevelt’s cabin.

Dean had booked a tour of the place and, as the pair got out of the car, an official looking man greeted them. Dean shared a brief, quiet conversation with him and handed the man something but Y/N couldn’t see what it was. She raised an eyebrow at him but he just shrugged and followed the man towards Pine Knot. 

They toured the site, each trying to one up the other with Roosevelt trivia, their guide honestly impressed by their knowledge. 

“You know his wife gave him an allowance,” Y/N commented, nudging Dean’s shoulder.

Dean laughed, pretending that she had shoved him as he stumbled backwards. “Yeah, $20 a day. And don’t you go getting any ideas like that.” 

Their tour guide laughed with them at that, looking to Dean and waiting for his response as they passed by one of the cabin’s sleeping spaces. She didn’t think they were being obnoxious about it, but Y/N wouldn’t be surprised if their guide was learning things from listening to the two of them talk.

“Oh! How about… TR let off steam by having pillow fights with his kids,” Dean replied, inspired by their surroundings and whooping in victory when the guide nodded in affirmation.

The tour continued in much the same way until Y/N stopped, pulling on Dean’s arm excitedly. “I’ve got one! Um… When he read the book ‘How the Other Half Live,’ Roosevelt sent the author a note that basically said ‘I’m here to help, let’s do it.’” Y/N was looking around the space with a dreamy smile. “He believed in things and he didn’t just believe in them, he did them. What more can you ask for? He just loved people.”

Dean pulled her in and kissed her. “You are such an amazing woman, you know that, right?” he asked before kissing Y/N again. “Let’s get some lunch.” 

The pair made their way out of the cabin and onto the porch, where a large picnic basket was waiting for them with Dean’s keys on top. He pocketed the keys and grabbed the basket, opening it and pulling out a red and white checked blanket which he laid out on the Pine Knot porch. His hands disappeared into the basket again and when he withdrew them, they were holding a teddy bear.

Dean grabbed Y/N’s hand and turned to face her. “I know I just said it but, Y/N, you are an amazing woman. You are smart, sweet, funny, and you have a passion for history that rivals even my own,” he told her as he held up the stuffed bear. It was dressed like Teddy Roosevelt, its namesake, and Dean held it out to Y/N. “This is for you, as well as something that I hid in one of his pockets.”

Y/N took the bear and dipped her fingers into the small pockets on it’s vest and jacket until she felt something cold and metal. She pulled it out and held a beautiful ring between her fingers. Y/N turned back to Dean to thank him and her hands immediately flew to her mouth when she found him down on one knee in front of her.

“Y/N, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

She nodded before squeaking out an excited “Yes!” between her fingers

Y/N dropped her hands from her face and Dean grabbed them, taking the ring from her and sliding it onto her finger. He stood and kissed her, their teeth clacking together here and there since neither of them could stop smiling. When they broke apart, their tour guide handed Dean a camera, telling the couple that he got some good photos, and Y/N beamed at him.

“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice a whisper, and Dean smiled nodded, giving her another quick peck on the lips.

“There really is a meal in there,” Dean told her, indicating the picnic basket, “and I don’t know about you but I was too nervous to eat breakfast this morning so I’m starving.” He sat down on the blanket he’d set out and started pulling fruit and cheese from the basket, followed by sandwiches and a couple of water bottles. Y/N sat beside him and they each ate with only one hand, Dean’s right hand grasping Y/N’s left and occasionally playing with the ring that now resided there.

Once they finished their meal, they scrolled through the photos together before strolling the trails that surrounded Pine Knot, neither of them ready to leave what had become a magical place. 

After their day at the cabin, the rest of the trip went by in a blur and before either of them knew it, Dean and Y/N were back in Kansas, ready to plan a wedding and start the rest of their lives together.


End file.
